A: Why? Because despite everything, you don’t know me. And what’s more, you don’t understand me. Not one bit. You really thought…and no, you’re not special.

J: What? But you married me. You love me. You said you loved me. Did you?

A: I said yes to your proposal. I said I do at the wedding. And yes, I said I loved you. I had to. I didn’t want to hurt you. I had a duty. An obligation to make you happy. From the moment we met…

J: You liked me. From the moment we met, you liked me. What happened?

A: Have you ever done something on a whim? Something you just wanted to try, but not something you understood.

J: You understood.

A: That’s just it. I didn’t. I didn’t know what I was getting into. But from our first date, I was trapped. I couldn’t break it off with you because my reasons were ridiculous. So I waited for you to notice…

J: What? Just what was I supposed to notice?

A: That I didn’t love you. And that I never would.

J: But…

A: But I did? No. Look back. Just look back. I wasn’t unhappy. But I never loved you.

J: Were you just…pretending? Faking it?

A: Yes.

J: But you can’t. You can’t fake love. It’s either real, or…

A: You just can’t believe you didn’t notice. You wanted me to be in love with you. You didn’t look any further.

J: Why would I have? I trusted you.

A: This has nothing to do with trust and everything to do with perception. You didn’t want to see. And so you didn’t.

J: But you said…

A: Pretty words. Full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing.

J: Shakespeare huh? That really brings me back…

(Silence)

J: We can put this behind us can’t we? I mean, it’s not too late…

A: (Pause) No. It’s not too late.

J: We can work through this. I’ll try to understand you…

A: And I’ll try to be more truthful.

J: I love you darling. I really do.

A: (Slight pause) I love you too. In my own way.

J: It’s still real.

A: Yes, it is.

(They kiss. Alysse’s eyes remain open. Her hands remain to her side for a brief moment until she closes her eyes and reaches up with reluctance to pull him closer)

Scene 2 (A few years earlier)

(Alysse is alone in a small room. She is knitting a scarf and humming a nameless tune)

A: (singing) We were already bored, we were already…

(Ellie knocks at the door, Alysse rises to open it but Ellie tries the door and finds it unlocked. Ellie enters)

E: You shouldn’t leave the door unlocked you know.

A: And you shouldn’t walk into people’s houses uninvited. How did you know I wasn’t conducting ritual sacrifices in here? Or having sex?

E: I think the sex would be far more surprising. And really, you never know what kind of creeps could just break into your house.

A: Case in point.

E: Well at least you know this creep.

A: So what’s up? You don’t often drop by like this.

E: Oh, I was just in the neighbourhood…

A: And what? The mafia was chasing you? You remembered I owe you money?

A: We are. You know how sometimes I just get these crazy ideas in my head…

J: You’re so cute.

A: Aw, so are you.

J: I’ve wanted to say this for such a long time. I love you. I love you Alysse.

A: Do you…do you really mean that?

J: Of course. I love you Alysse. I have for a long time.

(James freezes, Alysse continues speaking to him, but he does not react.)

A: How can you feel that way? Look inside yourself. Do you love me? Do you really? Look inside yourself, for the love of God. See me for what I really am. See me! How can you be so blind? I don’t love you. I never will. Please, just see me!

(Alysse composes herself, James unfreezes)

A: I…I love you too. Yes. I love you too.

J: Oh, you’ve made me so happy.

A: I know. I know what I did.

Scene 5

(Alysse enters, dressed in the same formal clothes as Scene 1. She sits with her face away from the audience before turning slowly towards them)

Sometimes I feel so alone. So goddamn alone. James is never with me, not really. I’ve given up trying to talk to him a long time ago. So I bury myself in these boring, mundane tasks, hoping to distract myself. And yes, bury is the exact right word. Little by little, dish by dish, brick by boring brick, I bury myself. Every second I pretend to love him, or pretend to act normally, or even pretend to be alive, I mire myself deeper. Soon, there will be no escape. I won’t be able to get out, because it’ll be too late. I built myself a mausoleum out of a fucking marriage.

(She stands up)

But isn’t this…what you’re supposed to do? Isn’t this what everyone wants? This is what…this is what is done. It’s simply it. I submit, I submit to…what is it? I can be happy can’t I? Time…time will help.

(Pause)

Try again Alysse. This is what everyone wants. This is what is done. Try again. It’s already too late…